About Phil Hickey Ph.D

I am a licensed psychologist, presently retired. I have worked in clinical and managerial positions in the mental health, corrections, and addictions fields in the United States and England. My wife Nancy and I have been married since 1970 and have four grown children.

Business As Usual

February 12, 2011 By Phil Hickey |

Christopher Lane, author of Shyness has written an interesting post. The gist of the matter is as follows. There’s a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines (benzos for short) that are promoted by Pharma and prescribed by psychiatrists to “treat” anxiety. (As if anxiety were an illness!) See my post on the So-called Anxiety Disorders. Benzos… Continue Reading

Overeating Is Not An Illness

February 7, 2011 By Phil Hickey |

DSM lists two principal “illnesses” under the heading Eating Disorders: anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Anorexia Nervosa means chronic and pernicious fasting even though food is readily available. “Anorexia” is Greek for lack of appetite. “Nervosa” is Greek for nervous. Bulimia means recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting or other methods of purging. … Continue Reading

The Drugging of Children

January 17, 2011 By Phil Hickey |

Babies are born selfish. Not only has the newborn no consideration for others, he isn’t even aware of others. For the newborn, the universe is him/herself. Babies are born bad-tempered. When their needs are not immediately met, they cry. If they are still not met, they scream, turn red, and thrash their arms and legs. … Continue Reading

Another Good Book

December 12, 2010 By Phil Hickey |

Manufacturing Depression, by Gary Greenberg An excellent account of the history of the psychiatric concept of depression. Dr. Greenberg provides a fairly unique perspective, as he is an experienced psychotherapist who has had some personal experience with depression. In his writing he draws material from both sides of the desk. He also identifies and discusses… Continue Reading